Electrical assembly



Aug. 21, 1962 D. L. BENSON ELECTRICAL ASSEMBLY Filed July 14, 1959 M "Im W I v 66 finnaid L.Benso11, E w may United States Fatent 3,05%,715ELETRICAL ASSEMBLY Donald L. Benson, Cechictuate, Mas-5., assiwor toUnited- Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass., a eorporation ofDelaware Filed July 14, 1959, Ser. No. 826,950 1 Claim. ($1. 33917) Thisinvention relates generally to electrical apparatus and specifically toa lamp socket component for use with printed circuit panels.

Recent developments in the construction of lamps where the standardmetallic base has been eliminated and the glass envelope drawn toprovide a wedge type base has necessitated improvements in lamp socketconstructions.

The object of this invention is to provide a lamp socket adapted toretain a wedge type bulb.

A further object of this invention is to provide a lamp socket for usewith a wedge type bulb in which the lamp retaining means are integralportions of the circuit.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious, and will, inpart, appear hereinafter.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan vie wof the lamp socket embodying the features ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a View in side elevation of the socket;

FIG. 3 is a view in section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation partly in section of the socket,mounted on a printed circuit board having the lamp in assembly;

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of one contact as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the printed circuit panel illustratingthe aperture adapted to receive the socket; and

FIG. 7 is a view in front elevation of a modified form of the contact.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a lamp socket 10 which isadapted for insertion within a panel 12 having a continuous circuit 14on one surface thereof to maintain electrical continuity to a lamp bulb16.

The panel may be of the type commonly known as a printed or etchedcircuit board having suitable apertures 18 therein to receive electricalcomponents such as lamp sockets or the like.

The lamp socket 10 comprises a body portion 2i) which may be molded froma suitable plastic and contains symmetrical right and left contactmembers 22 and 24.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the body portion 20 includes a centralaperture 26 opening to one end thereof and a slot 28 extending downwardfrom the aperture 26 adapted to receive the base of the lamp bulb 16.The body 29 is provided with a radial flange 30 spaced from the open endand a pair of tabs 32 extending from the upper periphery and spaced fromthe flange 30 a distance equivalent to the thickness of the panel 12 fora purpose to be described hereinafter.

The contact members 22 and 24 as shown in FIG. 3 are formed of resilientmetal and have a continuous base 34 with a laterally extending rib 36. Acentral finger 38 extends upwardly from the base 34 having a bend 40 atsubstantially its mid portion defining an angular extension 42. Thedistal end of the extension 42 is dished upwardly forming a smoothsurfaced hemisphere 44 adapted for sliding engagement with one surfaceof the panel 12. A pair of spring members 46 and 48 extend upwardly fromthe base 34 and inclined in a direction opposite to extension 42 and arelaterally spaced from the central finger 38, one member lying on eachside. The terminal ends 50 and 52 of the spring members are bent in thedirection of the extension 42 and as illustrated in FIG. 3, bear againstthe walls 54 of the slot upon insertion of the red base of the bulb 16so that the curved portion 56 will resiliently bear against the externalleads (not shown) of the bulb 16 to maintain effective electricalcontinuity. A pair of tabs 58 and 60 extend upwardly from the base 34 oneither side of the spring members 46 and 48 and are inclined in thedirection of the extension 42 having their terminal ends 62 and 64sharply pointed and adapted for biting engagement with the walls 54 ofthe slot 58 to retain the contacts in assembly. The socket 10 is adaptedfor assembly with the panel 12 by inserting it within the aperture 18and rotating it into a predetermined angular relation to the panel sothat the hemispheres 44 on the ends of the extension 42 bear against thecontinuous circuit '14.

T o assemble the socket 10 with the panel 14, the socket isinsertedwithin the aperture 18 with the tabs 32 entering the cutoutportion 66 and the socket rotated in a clockwise direction. It willreadily be seen that the tab 32 having inclined surfaces 68 will rideupwardly on one surface of the panel 14 simultaneously with the downwardflexing of the angular extension 42 of the finger 38 allowing the panel12 to be firmly retained between the radial flange 30 and the lowerportion 70 of the tab 32. After the socket 10 has been rotatedapproximately the hemispheres 44 will lie in abutting relationship andin mechanical and electrical contact with the continuous circuit 14.Furthermore, the pressure exerted by the panel 12 on the angularextension 42 causes the contact members 22 and 24 to exert pressure onthe base of the bulb by tending to move toward each other therebyincreasing the retention power of the contact members.

Referring to the modified form of the contact as shown in FIG. 7, thereis illustrated a base 34a with a pair of laterally extending ribs 36aand 3612 with a pair of fingers 38a and 381) with bends 40a and 40b atthe mid portion defining angular extensions 42a and 42b. The hemispheres44a and b found at the distal ends are substantially the same as shownin the original form'angl adapted for the same purpose. The springcontact members 48a and 48b are adapted to flex outwardly upon insertionof the bulb base and due to their inherent resilient characteristics,retain the bulb in assembly. The contact is maintained in positionwithin the socket by means of tabs 60:: and 69b having sharplypointedends 64a and 64b entering into biting engagement with the Wallsof the socket.

Since certain other obvious modifications may be made in this devicewithout departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended thatall matter contained herein be interpreted in an illustrative and not ina limiting sense.

I claim:

A lamp socket for axial insertion within a continuous circuit panel,said socket comprising an insulated housing, a radial flange spaced fromone end of said housing co operating with cam means on the periphery ofsaid end of the housing to retain the socket within the panel and a pairof contact members in spaced relation to each other, each of saidcontact members having a base, a central finger extending from said basehaving means for engaging said circuit panel, a pair of spring membersextending from said base in the same direction as said central finger,spaced from said central finger on each side thereof and in angularrelation with said base and at least two tabs extending upwardly fromsaid base spaced from said central finger and from said spring memberson opposite ends of said base, said tabs having pointed terminal ends inbiting engagement with said housing.

(Other references on following page) Hochhausen May 16, 1905 SalisburyOct. 16, 1906 Rush Aug. 11, 1914 Larkin Jan. 7, 1941 Roger 2 May 20,1952 Wadsworth Sept. 22, 1953 Haas Jan. 18, 1955 Benander Apr. 5, 1955'Cochran- June 20; 1955 Sunko et a1 Feb/19, 1957 7 Heath May 21, 1957 W fter -2. Feb. 25, 1958 Gilbert Feb. 24, 1959 Fraser et a1 Apr. 28, 1959Bourns et a1 May 12,1959 Woofterct a1 Sept. 20, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTSAustria Jan. 25, 1910 France Nov; 24, 1947

